PHENOMENON AND NOUMENON 



itself to be not homogeneous with the first ; a 

 feeling of shock, more or less decided, accom- 

 panying the transition. This shock, which arises 

 from the difference of the two feelings, becomes 

 the measure of that difference — constitutes by 

 its occurrence the consciousness of a relation of 

 difference, and by its degree the consciousness 

 of the amount of difference ; that is, the rela- 

 tion of difference as present in consciousness is 

 nothing more than a change in consciousness. 

 How then can it resemble, or be in any way akin 

 to, its source beyond consciousness ? Here are 

 two colours which we call unlike. As they exist 

 objectively the two colours are quite independent 

 — there is nothing between them answering to 

 the change which results in us from contemplat- 

 ing first one and then the other. Apart from 

 our consciousness they are not linked as are the 

 two feelings they produce in us. Their relation 

 as we think it, being nothing else than a change 

 of our state, cannot possibly be parallel to any- 

 thing between them, when they have both re- 

 mained unchanged." ^ 



Since, therefore, the relations of Difference 

 and No-difference, which lie at the bottom of 

 conceptions of unity and plurality, are shown 

 to be subjective relations which cannot be pre- 

 dicated of objective existence, it follows that in 

 strictness the Absolute Existence of which phe- 

 ^ Spencer, Principles of Psychology, vol. i. p. 224 [§ 93]. 



